


Bird Calls

by humapuma



Series: The Adventures of Tarzan and Bucky [2]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tarzan - Edgar Rice Burroughs
Genre: M/M, Prequel, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:47:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22298830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humapuma/pseuds/humapuma
Summary: Tarzan catches a strange scent and follows it to a human encampment.
Series: The Adventures of Tarzan and Bucky [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1508849
Comments: 25
Kudos: 169





	Bird Calls

**Author's Note:**

> Here is a teeny ficlet for my Tarzan series <3 I hope you enjoy it!

As he foraged for fruit not far from the troop, a strange scent caught his attention. Turning, he looked at the others, searching for anything unusual in the trees surrounding their nesting grounds. The jungle was still, though never silent, so he continued searching for more food.

“Tarzan,” Akut said, approaching him. “We go soon.”

Nodding, Tarzan ripped open a mango and hummed his acknowledgment. As they trekked toward the mountains, Tarzan had the distinct feeling that  _ something _ was nearby. The smell persisted through the day and into the evening, though nothing disturbed the jungle and his kin appeared unaware of its presence.

When night had fallen, Tarzan rose from the leafy bed that he’d made and crawled over his mother and the other females, quietly leaving the area. He could follow the scent all the way back to their previous nests and further on, leading him closer to the human city. It was far too close for his comfort, but that  _ smell _ drew him like nothing he’d ever  known.

It was barely any time at all before he heard the voices and saw the dying light of men’s fire. He’d been burned by torches and knew the danger but… there was something over there, something he had to find.

After another moment, he leapt up and grabbed a vine, climbing swiftly into the trees and making his way from one branch to the next until he was able to see the camp. It appeared that all of the men had gone into their covered nests and were asleep.

Except one.

Tarzan leaned forward as one of the men crawled out and stood up on his hind legs like all of them did. After some time observing humans, Tarzan had tried to move like them – mostly out of curiosity – and learned that his own body could do it. The feeling of being up so high was… odd, though not unpleasant.

From his place on the branch, Tarzan watched as the man secured something around his waist. In the poor light given off from the dying embers, Tarzan could just barely see his face… and his mouth fell open.

The man was… beautiful.

He couldn’t remember having  _ ever _ seen a human like him. Often, the men who came to kidnap Wakandan people were pale, like this one, but there was something about this one that had Tarzan’s heart pounding.

He walked away from the fire and into the trees, tucking something shiny into the metallic wrapping around his waist. Tarzan followed him and continued to observe his movements, eyes wide and throat dry. Once he was away from the smoke, the man’s own scent hit Tarzan and he recognized it immediately.

This was the smell he’d been chasing.

Suddenly, an idea struck him and he leapt to a closer branch, but it was weaker than he’d realized. Leaves and twigs fell over the man and he looked up, fear and alarm evident on his beautiful face.

Tarzan pressed his lips together and whistled, calling to the man as one of his favorite birds called to its mate.

Eyes wide and brow furrowed, the man spun around, searching the trees for its source but he couldn’t see Tarzan. He’d begun to step backward, not looking where he was going, and Tarzan slipped to another branch, purring a different call to him.

After taking a few more steps, the man lost his balance on an incline and fell backward. Tarzan hurriedly followed behind him, swinging from one tree to the next. He feared the worst, recalling the lifeless bodies of Wakandans taken by pale men. Once he’d descended as far as he could go without getting on the ground, Tarzan waited for a sign that the man was still alive.

As Tarzan was about to leap to the ground, the man coughed and tried to catch his breath. Relief flooded Tarzan and he sighed, leaning back against the tree while keeping watch over the man.

After a while, he stood up on clearly shaky legs and began walking. In the dark, he struggled to make his way and Tarzan knew he was moving in the wrong direction.

Hesitating for only a moment, Tarzan continued to follow silently behind.

He wouldn’t reveal himself; no good would come of it, he knew.

**Author's Note:**

> How'd you like it?


End file.
